Great Ellingham Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff build lovely relationships with children.

They greet children individually on arrival and express how happy they are to see them. Children beam in response. They settle quickly and demonstrate a sense of security and confidence.

Children laugh frequently and are absorbed in their play. They become familiar with key routines, such as washing their hands and finding their lunch boxes, and begin to follow these routines independently.Staff engage children in warm conversations, showing interest in their ideas and home experiences.

Children are keen to talk about their important people and things they have d...one. Staff have a good understanding of child development and use this, alongside their observations of children's learning, to plan and target activities and teaching. They work closely with external professionals to tailor the curriculum for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff deliver a curriculum that promotes progression for all children, in all areas of learning. This supports children's readiness for the next stage of their education.Staff support children's understanding of positive behaviours.

They teach children clear rules, such as using 'kind hands', and help them to develop key skills, such as taking turns. Children learn to play cooperatively, working together with friends to achieve a shared goal. For instance, they collect saucepans full of conkers and transport these to a wheelbarrow.

Once it is full, they push it to the mud kitchen to begin 'cooking'.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

The staff team works well together and shares a common drive to give children the best start in education. It notes the importance of building relationships with parents as well as children.

Staff have a positive attitude to training and collaborating with other professionals to develop their knowledge and skills.Leaders and managers have clear plans and goals for the future of the setting. They work closely with the local authority to identify opportunities to access additional funding and develop the setting's physical environment.

Staff and committee members have made improvements to the garden space, including installing a mud kitchen and all-weather sandpit shed. They also plan events to promote partnerships with parents.Parents report feeling well supported and that a range of communication methods keep them informed about their child's experiences and progress in learning.

They feel that staff are approachable if they have any questions or concerns. Parents of children with SEND praise staff's proactive approach and appreciate their help in navigating referral systems and accessing support services.Staff promote children's language skills well.

They pitch their comments and conversations at an appropriate level, which helps children at different stages of development to understand, respond and join in. They also introduce sign language during routine events, such as the daily welcome song. Children talk to themselves and friends as they play.

They search for animal toys in a farmyard tray, talking about places that an owl might hide. Children talk about the structures they are building or the foods they pretend to cook in the role-play kitchen. They use cutters, rolling pins and plastic scissors to shape and manipulate lavender-scented dough, telling adults nearby about their creations.

Children practise recognising their written names and counting during carpet time. Staff hold up name labels as they sing a welcome song with children. They talk to children about the activities and routines of the day and encourage children to recall the setting's key rules.

Children help staff to count how many children are present.Staff make good use of everyday opportunities to encourage children to practise key mathematical skills, such as counting and size. However, they do not always extend children's learning to challenge their understanding and problem-solving skills further.

For instance, staff encourage children to count how many items can fit into different-sized containers, but do not encourage them to consider comparisons between the containers to link their understanding of quantity to volume.Staff provide a range of interesting activities to build children's understanding of the world around them. Children are eager to explore and join in with conversations, but at times, activities lack reference objects or non-fiction books to help children make sense of new vocabulary or concepts.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help staff to expand their teaching techniques to challenge children's understanding and problem-solving skills and extend their learning further review the provision of resources, such as non-fiction books or objects of reference, to support children's understanding of new words and concepts.